reasonpassion's review
3.0
Jumped around a bit with some issues of continuity but the world created is one of the grittiest more realistic fantasy/modern hybrids. If fantastical things started happening it would be confusing and explained by madness and the police would likely be involved. Hence the story here. Definitely more where this starts.
see_sadie_read's review
2.0
2.5, slightly spoilerish
I really want to give this book more than two stars, because in some ways it was really interesting, but I just can't. Mechanically, it could have used a copy edit, but it was well written (word choice, sentence structure and such) but it was just all over the place, took about an eternity to get to the point, had a painful lack of realistic reactions to events and introduced numerous threads that were never tied into the story in any way.
My biggest issue is with characters lack of reaction to the introduction of the supernatural. For real, a man got trapped in a cage-fight with a demonic warrior with his soul at stake. Basically doesn't say anything, goes back to work. Man gets transported to another plain of existence and back again. Doesn't say anything, goes back to work. People are being enslaved to small jars that everyone anomalously seems to understand contain soul. The police treat them like any other addictive substance, no one discusses it and everyone gets on with work. Officers are killed by a hellhound. No one says anything about it. They all go back to work. Man is attacked by a demon. Doesn't say thing, goes back to work. Sorcerer tries to mentally influence a detective. Detective avoids it, but doesn't say anything and goes back to work.
The book sets all this up as if this is an otherwise normal world and these things should be freaking people out, but nope. No one seems to be bothered in the least. Half of them seem to know more than they should, but we're never told why or how and they ALL accept the preternatural with complete ease. It was so far from believable I almost didn't continue with the book.
Some of the loose ends suggest someone somewhere knows something. For example, at one point one character goes to an interview in which she's asked what she considers off topic questions about magic and dragon, but it's never explained and it never comes up outside of the one scene. Similarly, obviously the bad guy knows what's going on, but it's never addressed.
Actually, a lot isn't addressed. One person is apparently a dragon. It's hinted at but never addressed. One man is a dragonslayer, but he doesn't know it and it's never addressed. Another is a demonslayer, but he doesn't know it and it's never addressed. Another seems to have some sort of biblical ability to see things, but it's never addressed. There are apparently three different realms of existence, this is mentioned in one scene but never addressed. There may be some supernatural task-force, but it only shows up the once and it never addressed. Blue Point (the town) itself might be special in some way. It's hinted at, but never addressed. There is so much ALMOST here and if it was the book would be great. But almost just doesn't cut in when it comes to the enjoyment of a story and I finished the book scratching my head.
My second biggest issue is that the book contained a lot of unrelated police procedurals. I liked the Cop characters. I even thought that that aspect of the book was interesting and felt appreciably real, but it in no way progressed the story, In fact, it caused it to really drag. As an example, about 10% in you meet the sorcerer that will be the antagonist. Then he and that aspect of the plot doesn't show up again until about 60% in. Everything in between is police officers making routine traffic stops and enjoying (or not) their time off. Interesting if it had been another book, but just a disappointing break in tension in this urban fantasy.
It's all a shame too, because I so wanted to like it. I so wanted to wrap myself in this story and it's characters, but the story is so buried in itself I could hardly even find it. Close but no cigar, I'm afraid.
I really want to give this book more than two stars, because in some ways it was really interesting, but I just can't. Mechanically, it could have used a copy edit, but it was well written (word choice, sentence structure and such) but it was just all over the place, took about an eternity to get to the point, had a painful lack of realistic reactions to events and introduced numerous threads that were never tied into the story in any way.
My biggest issue is with characters lack of reaction to the introduction of the supernatural. For real, a man got trapped in a cage-fight with a demonic warrior with his soul at stake. Basically doesn't say anything, goes back to work. Man gets transported to another plain of existence and back again. Doesn't say anything, goes back to work. People are being enslaved to small jars that everyone anomalously seems to understand contain soul. The police treat them like any other addictive substance, no one discusses it and everyone gets on with work. Officers are killed by a hellhound. No one says anything about it. They all go back to work. Man is attacked by a demon. Doesn't say thing, goes back to work. Sorcerer tries to mentally influence a detective. Detective avoids it, but doesn't say anything and goes back to work.
The book sets all this up as if this is an otherwise normal world and these things should be freaking people out, but nope. No one seems to be bothered in the least. Half of them seem to know more than they should, but we're never told why or how and they ALL accept the preternatural with complete ease. It was so far from believable I almost didn't continue with the book.
Some of the loose ends suggest someone somewhere knows something. For example, at one point one character goes to an interview in which she's asked what she considers off topic questions about magic and dragon, but it's never explained and it never comes up outside of the one scene. Similarly, obviously the bad guy knows what's going on, but it's never addressed.
Actually, a lot isn't addressed. One person is apparently a dragon. It's hinted at but never addressed. One man is a dragonslayer, but he doesn't know it and it's never addressed. Another is a demonslayer, but he doesn't know it and it's never addressed. Another seems to have some sort of biblical ability to see things, but it's never addressed. There are apparently three different realms of existence, this is mentioned in one scene but never addressed. There may be some supernatural task-force, but it only shows up the once and it never addressed. Blue Point (the town) itself might be special in some way. It's hinted at, but never addressed. There is so much ALMOST here and if it was the book would be great. But almost just doesn't cut in when it comes to the enjoyment of a story and I finished the book scratching my head.
My second biggest issue is that the book contained a lot of unrelated police procedurals. I liked the Cop characters. I even thought that that aspect of the book was interesting and felt appreciably real, but it in no way progressed the story, In fact, it caused it to really drag. As an example, about 10% in you meet the sorcerer that will be the antagonist. Then he and that aspect of the plot doesn't show up again until about 60% in. Everything in between is police officers making routine traffic stops and enjoying (or not) their time off. Interesting if it had been another book, but just a disappointing break in tension in this urban fantasy.
It's all a shame too, because I so wanted to like it. I so wanted to wrap myself in this story and it's characters, but the story is so buried in itself I could hardly even find it. Close but no cigar, I'm afraid.
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